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Fight For Your Life: The WorldStarHipHop Craze

“When I hear WorldStar, I automatically think, “Oh sh*t somebody’s getting they a** beat!” said Sequoia Wade, a high school Student from the Bronx. “Every time I hear a fight on my street, I run outside, there’s already a huge crowd yelling WorldStar with their phones out”

Wade is one of many teenagers, and some adults who are infatuated with the popular website, WorldStarHIpHop. With an unspecified number of videos uploaded everyday by millions of users, there may be no end to this craze for a while.

According to The Baltimore Sun, WorldStarHipHop, is an American Hip-Hop site, basically a shock site. The site has been around for 9 years now, but has not always been inappropriate or violent. Recently, teens, and adults alike have been uploading videos of fights, porn, and other racist videos onto the website, making it even more popular. Teens, and adults from East Tremont shared their opinions on whether or not the site promotes violence, and whether there is fame to be gained from the website.

Wade, who is a rising senior at Green Dot Charter School, shared her thoughts about the website. When asked why she thought so many people were obsessed with the site, she replied, “teens, and adults are obsessed with the website, because they’re mostly immature and enjoy seeing people hurt.” “Teens record fights because they enjoy instigating fights, and making fun of the people apart of them.” Wade added, referring to why teens, and adults upload fights onto WSHH instead of stopping them.

Teens, and adults upload all kinds of videos onto WorldStarHipHop for many reasons. “I don’t think they gain fame, I just think they attract ignorant people who make them seem famous.” said Wade when asked whether teens want to gain fame from the website. “I think people who want to be on the website need proper guidance. “She added.

When asked if she thought that videos on WorldStarHipHop promote violence, Wade answered, “they definitely promote violence, any physical altercation is violence.” She said she had never posted on the site, nor had videos of herself be posted by others.

Before teens, and adults began uploading fights, and pornography onto WorldStarHipHop, the site was mainly used by aspiring artists who shared their music with others. There are a staggering 1.1 million visitors a day, and the majority of the users on WorlStarHipHop are African Americans between the ages of 18, and 24 who browse from home according to The Baltimore Sun.

A student browsing the site WorldStarHipHopPhoto By Niya Harry

According to the site’s own Facebook page, WorldStarHipHop was created in 2005. 38 year-old Lee “Q” O’Denat, is a dropout from Grover Cleveland High School, he is also the founder of WorldStarHipHop. In an interview with New York Magazine, Denat says that he “believes his operation is providing a public service.” He added, “The night got a million eyes, it is a surveillance society. Go out and do some dumb crap, there’s a good chance you’re gonna wind up on WorldStar for everyone to see. So maybe you’ll think twice,” according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Tiara Hunter, a 16 year-old Junior in High School from the Bronx also shared her thoughts about WorldStarHipHop. When asked why she thought some people were obsessed with WorldStarHipHop she replied, “Some people are obsessed with WorldStar, because they get to see things like fights that are normally censored on TV or YouTube. “She added, “People may put up videos of fighting because they obviously want to promote more violence.”

Hunter thinks people post on the site seeking fame.

“I strongly believe that people put up videos for fame, because after most videos they say follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and add me on Facebook.” For her part, she wishes the site would return to its early music days,

When asked what she thought of people who want to be on the website, she replied, “I think people who want to be on WorldStarHipHop should be on it if it would be for a good cause like making a singing or dancing video that is appropriate rather than fighting.” She also added, “No I have never been put on the website.”

Margaret Diaz, a Guidance Counselor at Green Dot Charter School who has also familiarized herself with WorldStarHipHop also shared her thoughts. “I think most young people who use the site are not really obsessed with it, I feel that they’re just trying to fit it in and be like everybody else.” she answered. She added, “Some young people may record fights instead of stopping them because, stopping a fight rather than enjoying, and recording it may seem “uncool” in this day and age.”

When asked about what ulterior motives teens may have, she replied, “I don’t think it’s a fame they want, I just think they’re craving attention, the wrong kind.” She added, “Of course I feel uploading videos of young adults fighting promotes violence, there is no other purpose.”

Nicole Byrd, a mother of 4 shared her opinion as well. “They know people will be able to see it, they’ll get hits, and the more hits the better.” She added, “People are unfortunately drawn to violence; violence attracts interest and viewership.”

When asked if she thought there was fame to be gained, she replied, “yes, people want fame and uploading videos on WorldStarHipHop is a way of getting it.” She added, “Yes, it gets people to tune in and watch.” on promoting violence.